A PAGE FROM THE GENE JONES WEBSITE

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CONWAY  TWITTY

THE EARLY YEARS....1954 to 1967

HAROLD  JENKINS

 

(photo - Song Hits magazine - Charleton Publications - 1959)

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CONWAY TWITTY - THE EARLY YEARS is a page from the GENE JONES WEBSITE   Early in my career I had the opportunity to know and work with "Harold Jenkins aka  ConwayTwitty"  during the formative years of his career.   I  have created this web-page to share with Conway's  fans some of my memories from that era.  Conway was one of the few performers who achieved success in both rock & roll and country music venues, and his popularity lasted  from the 1950's until his untimely death in 1993.  His career has already been the subject of many documentaries and tributes so  this web-page will only address my memories of  the early years from 1954 to 1967 when Harold Lloyd Jenkins was making his journey from obscurity to a new name as an international super star.

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(Background music played by Gene Jones)

 

 JAPAN 1954

 

Mount FUJI, Japan

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THE FUJI MOUNTAIN BOYS

Johnny Eubanks, Gene Jones, Craig Reemes,  and Harold Jenkins, established a band to represent their Army base  in the 1954 All-Army Talent Competition.

They named their original band "The Fuji Mountain Boys".

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After their win at the 1954 All-Army Talent Show, the group changed their band name to "THE CIMARRONS".

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THE CIMARRONS

1955-56

CLICK HERE OR ON PICTURE BELOW to eavesdrop on a 1955 live  recording session in Tokyo, Japan

(Official US Army photo Japan Signal Bn 1955 -  Recording a radio program at the Far East Network Studios, Tokyo, Japan)

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The CIMARRONS were voted the "Best Instrumental Group" of the Far East Command-(Japan-Korea-Philippines-Guam)

        

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The Cimarrons were attached to the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) in Tokyo, Japan, to record a series of programs for the Far-East Radio Network.

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 One of the studio programs recorded for the Far-East Radio Network

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Harold , Johnny, and Gene shopping at the GINZA in Tokyo

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After the band began playing for military service clubs they were joined by NICK CRISTIANO, on drums and trumpet.

The Cimarrons at the Castle Club - Sagami Hara, Japan - 1956

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Gene's "day job"  in Japan

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Goodby Japan 1956

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 Conway's recording of "Mabelline" on his 1994 CD "The Conway Twitty Collection", was recorded  in 1956 while aboard ship enroute from Japan to San Francisco.

Harold Jenkins-Tip Tipton-Wes Pickett-Chuck Maury-Gene Jones-Jimmy Giesee  (1956 photo)  Performing for the troops aboard ship. 

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THE ROCK & ROLL YEARS

 1956-1964

HAROLD LLOYD JENKINS becomes CONWAY TWITTY

After Harold returned from Japan,he discovered that a new singer by the name of Elvis Pressley was causing a revolution with a new style of music called Rock & Roll.  Young singers doing the new rock & roll were dominating the music market and country music was falling in popularity.  To meet this new challenge and continue working in music, Harold Jenkins stopped singing country songs and started learning the new rock & roll.  Harold Jenkins new beginning in Rock & Roll started out slow, but after Don Seat (who had just missed signing Elvis) became his manager, the first thing that he did was decide that the name Harold Jenkins had to go! After some research he decided on a new name of Conway Twitty. Harold didn't like the name, but decided to take his new managers advice.

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The big break finally came when Conway recorded the song, "It's Only Make Believe". This record established Conway Twitty as a star at the top of the record charts. By 1958 he was doing guest appearances on national television shows like Perry Como and Dick Clark, and by 1959 had been discovered by Hollywood and had completed the first of several movies that would feature "Conway Twitty".

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NEW DANCE MANIA IS COLD WAR BELLWETHER-SHOULD RUSK STUDY THE TWIST?

Conway, Chubby Checker, and Dick Clark

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This photo was taken about the time that Conway completed the movie "Platinum Highschool" with Mickey Rooney, Dan Duryea and Terry Moore.  His recording "Danny Boy" was hitting the half-million mark in sales following his first hit "It's Only Make Believe". 

Gene was assigned to the US Army Recruiting Service in Oklahoma City.

(Photo credit ARMY TIMES News/Magazine Aug 2, 1961- Conway Twitty & Gene Jones)

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(Photo Springlake Amphitheater 1961)

  Al Bruno, Wes Picket, Joe Lewis, Conway, and Gene's daughter Sharon

 

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 *1964

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By the early 1960's rock & roll was beginning to lose some of it's popularity, and Harold Jenkins was wanting to return to country music where he had begun, as that has always been where he was the most comfortable. So, in 1964 he decided to return to country music. 

 

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THE LONELY BLUE BOYS

1966

Gene at a performance while working with Conway's band.

"Big" Joe Lewis (bass)    Conway Twitty    Jessie "Ed" Davis (guitar)    Tommy "Pork Chop" Markham (drums)    Gene Jones (steel)

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THE REST OF CONWAY'S CAREER

1967-1993

  After 1966 I was replaced by Steel player Lew Huston who was with Conway for awhile, but I  especially want to credit steel-guitarist John Hughey who joined Conway in 1968 and remained with him for more than 20 years.  John's distinctive steel-guitar styling provided the identifying sound to Conway's music throughout Conway's career.

Gene Jones and John Hughey at the 2004 International Steel Guitar Convention

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This web-page was created as a non-profit and historical document by Gene Jones, friend and musical associate of Harold Lloyd Jenkins, also known as Conway
Twitty.  Except where otherwise noted, text, photographs and sound files are from the legally acquired collection of Gene Jones, who is solely responsible for the content.

US Code Title 17, Chapter l, Sec 107 may  apply to portions of this site.  Every effort has been made to not infringe upon Comway's family, Conway Twitty Enterprises, or any other entity.

    

 "CONWAY TWITTY - THE EARLY YEARS"  IS A PAGE FROM THE GENE JONES WEBSITE - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

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